SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Councillor Ian Myles (Jamaica Labour Party, Little London Division) on Thursday flayed the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) for what he described as its inadequate preparation to withstand Hurricane Beryl.

He also alleged that the utility provider is understaffed and at the mercy of contractors over whom it has little control.

“The company failed miserably in their preparations for Hurricane Beryl. They worked on clearing the shrubbery below the lines instead of the trees that were hanging over the lines,” Myles thundered during the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation.

JPS lines in several communities across the parish were damaged by trees brought down by last Wednesday’s storm, leaving residents reeling from the inconvenience of days without power. As a result, the utility company has also come in for harsh criticism from individuals such as Savanna-la-Mar’s Keith Forbes. He said several reports were made to JPS in 2022 about the need to remove a deteriorating utility poles on Barclay Street, but to no avail. It was among those that fell during the hurricane.

“If they had changed the post when the request was submitted two years ago, the post would still be standing,” Forbes insisted during an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “Many of the posts that fell down, if you look at them, they broke because they were already deteriorating.”

As of July 11, approximately 70 per cent of communities in Westmoreland were still without power.

In lambasting the JPS during Thursday’s meeting, Myles blamed the company’s challenge to effectively fulfil its obligations on what he said was a heavy reliance on contracted workers hired to fill the void left by redundancies.

“You can’t control contracted workers,” the councillor raged. “Dem no haffi come a work when you call them. I implore them to bring back some of their staff [whose positions] they made redundant, so the restoration process can be swift.”

Myles also warned of the potential danger that comes with a protracted delay in restoring power, such as commuters who are not familiar with the area having traffic mishaps on unlit roads and risks that come with improper use of fuel-powered generators.

The councillor also complained that with the closure of JPS’ Savanna-la-Mar office, its customers in that area are at a disadvantage as the company’s app does not work and no one answers the hotline.

“I am calling on the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to start doing their work,” Myles said. “JPS only focus is to collect money. If you live in Little London, where they have people who throw up lines, your bill is high. If you live in Llandilo your bill is low. How did they arrive at such calculations? Their statement is, ‘If power is being used in a community it has to be paid for.’ That is unfair. [The OUR is] here to regularise utility consumption. [JPS] needs be more vigilant in their ability to make billing more consistent for households.”

On July 3, the eye of Category 4 Hurricane Beryl was recorded at 36 miles south of Westmoreland. Clarendon, St Elizabeth and Manchester are among the parishes most affected. On Thursday, Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Danree Delancy praised the Westmoreland Disaster Preparedness team for their vigilance in preparation for the storm. There have been no deaths reported in the parish. About 26 shelters provided haven for approximately 300 people during the storm.

This JPS utility post near JN Bank in Savanna-la-Mar was felled by the storm.

Councillor Ian Myles (Jamaica Labour Party, Little London Division) addressing Thursday’s meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation. (Photos: Rosalee Wood Condell)